Tie plate and rail retaining clip



Dc. 27, 1938. a T; ILLARD 2,141,891

TIE PLATE AND RA IL RETA INING CLIP Filed May 11, 1935 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 25 I- v 0 2/ /6 '95 z 11: I 7 4% A M A'. A j

3 a 3 ,9 pgnm Dec. 27, 1938. G wMA- D 2,141,891

IE PLATE ND RAIL Filed May 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 U NITE D STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a combination structure including a tie plate and a rail retaining clip member adapted to maintain a railroad rail in its proper position.

In some railway track constructions the tie plates are secured rigidly to: the supporting cross ties and the track rails are attached to the plates by means of retaining devices which permit the rails, during the normal wave movements thereof, to move vertically of the tie plate and thereby avoid imparting lifting or pumping movements to the cross ties.

A principal object of the present invention is. to provide an improved combination structure of the above character in which the tie plate-member of the combination may be of rolled metal and formed with one or more. rail base abutting shoulders corresponding in size and contour to the shoulder portions. of tie plates nowin general use; whereby the tieplates, insofar as the rolling operation is concerned, may be formed with rolls used in producing shoulder tie plates. of ordinary construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a combination structure of the above character, an improved rail retaining clip which may be readily applied to the tie plate to retain the rail in its proper position on the plate. In this connection the invention includes the provision of a retaining clip adapted to embrace a rail abutting shoulder of the tie plate and to so interlock with the plate as to maintain its applied position thereon without engagement with the rail base.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive key member which can be readily applied to lock the rail retaining clip member in its applied position in a manner to resist vibration and adapted to so interlock with the retaining clip as to insure against accidental displacement or unwarranted removal of the key and retaining members.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention showing the tie plate member secured to an underlying cross tie and showing the base portion of a railroad rail positioned on the tie plate.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the rail retaining clip member employed in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a tie plate and rail clip member similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2' but showing the clip member and tie plate so-formed as to provide a wedging engagement of the parts.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of the invention. 6

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 66- of Fig. 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. '7- is a sectional view taken on line 'l-1 of Fig. 5 showing the interlocking connection of the retaining member and the tie plate, and

Fig. 81s a. sectional view through the tie plate member with the rail retaining member removed.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings ill designates the base portion of a railroad rail, H one of the supporting cross ties, and I-Z-designates generally one embodiment of the improved railsupporting and retaining means interposed' between the base portion of the rail and the top surf-ace of the cross tie H. The tie plate member is preferably secured rigidly to the cross tie H bymeans of suitable fastening devices l3 which extend through apertures |-4I4- of the tie plate. and intothe underlying cross tie. The top surface of the plate is provided with upstanding rib |5 l6 which. preferably extend across the tie plate from edge. to edge thereof and provide abutment shoulders for opposite edges of the rail base ill. The shoulders l5-l6 may be of any desirable height.

The plate is provided adjacent the shoulders 15-16 with apertures I'l--I8 which form L- shaped recesses, the portionsv l920 of which extend beneath the abutment shoulders 15-46. The said apertures may be formed in any suitable manner, for example, by sub-punching operations.

The rail is retained loosely on the plate so as to permit the rail to move vertically of the plate during the normal wave movement. of the rail. The means for limiting the upward movement of the rail, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, are clip members positioned in the recesses 11-18 of the plate and adapted to be moved in said recesses transversely of the rail abutting shoulders into interlocking engagement with the tie plate member. The clip members: at opposite sides of the rail are of like construction and are designated 2l--2l. Each clip member 2| includes a long 50 upper jaw 23 and a shorter lower jaw 24 which, together embrace and engage the top and bottom surfaces. 25 and 26 of the rail abutment with which it is associated. When a clip member 2| is in its applied position, as: indicated in Fig. 2, a

ber '2! is recessed to provide a shoulder portion 28 which overlies a portion of the spring key members 2! when the latter is in its applied position and thereby effects an interlocking engagement between the key member 21 and the clip member 2|.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings the undercut shoulder 26 of the recess 2| is inclined to provide a wedging surface for the lower jaw 37 of the C-shaped clip member 38. The clip member 38 is applied to its operative position by inserting the lower jaw portion into the L-shaped recess 2| of the plate and then driving it transversely of the rail abutting shoulder [6 until the upper and lower jaws of the clip effect a tight wedging grip on the surfaces 25 26 of the rail abutting shoulder. The rail clip member 38 is held in its applied position by means of a key member 39 similar in construction to the resilient key shown in Fig. 2. The key member 39 is preferably made by bending a strip of spring steel upon itself to form a loop portion 40 and resilient leg portions 4l-42. The loop portion 40 is so formed as to engage the upper edge of the plate and serves as a stop when the key reaches its fully applied position. The lower end of the resilient leg 42 is provided with an angular portion 43 adapted to snap into a recess 44 in the lower portion of the clip 38 when the key is driven to its applied position between the clip member and a wall of the recess 2|.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, the aperture 45 for receiving the rail clip member 46 is of T-shape in elevation. The portion 45 of the T-shaped aperture, on the bottom side of the plate, is provided with oppositely inclined walls 4'!48 which provide interlocking bearing surfaces for the dovetailed lug portion 49 formed on the rail clip 46. When the clip is in its applied position its under surface 50 preferably conforms to the curvature of the top surface of the tie plate adjacent the rail abutting shoulder thereof. The edges iii-5i bear against the top surface of the plate along the opposite edges of the T-shaped aperture. The rail retaining clip 46 is applied to its operative position by inserting the dovetail portion 49 of the'clip into the long portion of the aperture 45 and then moving the clip transversely of the rail abutting shoulder to move the dovetailed portion 49 into engagement with the inclined surfaces 41-48 of the tie plate. The clip member 46 is held in its applied position by means of a spring 52 adapted to be forced into the recess 45 between the clip member 46 and the vertical wall of the recess in the plate.

I claim:

1. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in'combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base'abutting member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, the recess being enlarged at the bottom of the plate to provide an under cut shoulder, a rail retaining member movable in said recess into embracing engagement with said abutment member and under cut shoulder and adapted to overlie, but spaced from, the top'marginal portion of a rail base positioned on said plate, and a key having resilient end portions interposed between the retaining member and-a wall of said recess for locking said retaining member in said position and having a portion for interlocking engagement with the retaining member at a location above the bottom surface of the plate to resist removal of said locking means.

2. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutting member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, the recess being enlarged at the bottom of the plate to provide an under cut shoulder, a rail retaining member movable in said recess into embracing engagement with the said abutment member and under cut shoulder and adapted to overlie the top marginal portion of a rail base positioned on said plate, and a key comprising a metal strip bent intermediate its ends to provide resilient end portions adapted to be positioned in said recess to lock said retaining member in its applied position and having a portion for interlocking engagement with the retaining member at a location above the bottom of the plate.

3. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment with a portion thereof projecting under said abutment member, a rail retaining clip member in said recess provided with means for interlocking engagement with the plate, and a resilient key member adapted to be driven vertically of the plate into said recess to lock the rail retaining member in its applied position; the said key member being formed with a portion adapted to move, by the resilience of the key, to a position beneath the rail retaining clip member to provide an interlocking engagement therewith.

4. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, a rail retaining clip member in said recess provided with means for interlocking with the said plate and abutment member and formed on its outer face with a shoulder, and a resilient key member having return bent ends adapted to be forced into said recess of the plate to hold the rail retaining clip in its applied position; the said key member being provided with a portion adapted to move by the resilience of the key, to a position beneath said shoulder to provide an interlocking engagement therewith.

5. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment rib and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent the outer face of said abutment, the recess being formed to provide an undercut shoulder above the bottom face of the plate, a rail retaining member movable in said recess into interlocking engagement with said under cut shoulder and the top surface of said rib and adapted to overlie the top marginal portion of a rail base, and means for locking said retaining member in said position comprising a vertically movable key member formed with resilient end portions interposed between the retaining member and a wall of said recess and having portions including a loop for interlocking engagement with the upper edge of said recess and with said retaining member at a location above the bottom surface of the plate.

6. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie platev formed on the top surface with a rail base abutment member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, a rail retaining member movable in said recess to its operative position and having upper and lower jaw members adapted to be driven into wedging interlocking engagement with the top surface of said rail abutment and with a wall of said recess, and means for holding said retaining member in its applied position comprising a spring interposed between said retaining member and a wall of said recess the lower end portion of which spring is positioned between the planes of the top and bottom surfaces of the tie plate.

'7. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, the lower portion of the recess being enlarged to provide an undercut shoulder having a surface inclined lengthwise of said rail base abutment; a rail retaining member movable in said recess to its applied position and having a portion engaging the top of said abutment member and overlying the rail base and a portion having an inclined surface for engagement with the inclined surface of said undercut shoulder; and resilient means engaging the retaining member and a wall of said recess for locking the retaining member in its applied position.

8. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, the lower portion of the recess being enlarged to provide an undercut shoulder having a surface inclined lengthwise of said rail base abutment; a rail retaining member movable in said recess to its applied position and having a portion engaging the top of said abutment member and overlying the rail base and a portion having an inclined surface for engagement with the inclined surface of said undercut shoulder; and means engaging said retaining member and a wall of said recess to lock the retaining member in its applied position comprising a spring metal member bent intermediate its ends to a bowed configuration and adapted to be forced into said recess.

9. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, in combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a rail base abutment member and having a recess extending through the plate adjacent said abutment, the lower portion of the recess being enlarged to provide an undercut shoulder having an inclined surface; a rail retaining member movable in said recess to its applied position and having a portion conforming in contour to the top of said abutment member and the adjacent surface of the tie plate body and having also a portion for interlocking engagement with said undercut shoulder; and resilient locking means engaging said retaining member and a wall of said recess for locking the retaining member in its applied position, comprising a bowed spring positioned in said recess to extend lengthwise of said rail base abutment.

GEORGE T. WILLARD. 

